Microbiology and Immunology 2500A/B Midterm: 2500- Midterm 2 Notes (1)

• School: Western University
• Department: Microbiology and Immunology
• Course: Microbiology and Immunology 2500A/B
• Professor: Dimitrios J Dikeakos, John Mc Cormick, Kelly Lynn Summers

Document Summary

Length: 3 m (3 millionth of a m) Diameter: 1 m (1 millionth of a m) Only a few bacteria are needed to cause illness or death. Our body is covered in bacteria (ex, respiratory tract, ri tract, intentional tract: most bacteria aren"t pathogens (aren"t disease causing) Live in extreme environments (thermal vents, boiling hot springs) Smallest, simplest and most abundant cells on earth. Estimated ~5 x 1030 prokaryotes on earth: biomass of all prok= biomass of all plants on earth, more diversity among prok than euk. Prokaryotes lack of a true nucleus and complex organelles: organelles aren"t membrane bound in the cytoplasm. Smaller than euk cells: virus size < bacteria cell size < cell size. Bacteria evolve more quickly than eukaryotic cell: haploid genome (one set of chromosomes, 1 gene for each of those traits, can mutate their genes & evolve to different environments much faster than eukaryotes. Bacteria reproduce by binary fission (splitting apart & replicating)